Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own | The Evening Sale
Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own | The Evening Sale
Fabergé, workmaster Henrik Wigström
A jewelled pink gold and silver-mounted guilloché enamel nephrite desk clock, St Petersburg, 1908-1917
Auction Closed
September 6, 08:20 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A Fabergé jewelled pink gold and silver-mounted guilloché enamel nephrite desk clock, workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917
circular, the dial enamelled in translucent pink over wavy radiating engine-turning, the dial of white enamel with roman numerals and inscribed 'Fabergé', diamond-set silver and gold hands, the pink gold bezel reeded, the pink gold outer rim engraved with a recurring geometric motif, the terminals of the strut simulating greek-key pattern, struck with workmaster's initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, scratched inventory number 25361, 56 and 88 standards
diameter 8.3cm., 3 ¼ in.
Sotheby's Geneva, 16 May 1991, lot 276
Nothing screams luxury quite like Fabergé. Universally recognised for its famous Imperial Easter Eggs, the Fabergé firm nurtured some of the greatest craftsmen of all time and produced some of the most iconic and expertly crafted jewels and objects in modern history.
Peter Carl Fabergé was the creator of marvellous works epitomising creative genius and impeccable craftsmanship. The son of jeweller Gustav Fabergé, founder of the eponymous firm, Carl studied jewellery under his father’s guidance and, after further study in Frankfurt, Dresden and Florence, returned to St Petersburg to work at the Fabergé firm and eventually take over as manager at the young age of 24. Under his watchful eye, the careers of his workshop masters such as Henrik Wigström blossomed.
In the 1880s, Fabergé began receiving commissions from Emperor Alexander III for jewels and objets d’art - everyday objects from vesta cases (used to store and light matches) to photo frames transformed into luxurious works of art. As jeweller to the Imperial Russian court, Fabergé consequently gained international recognition and began furnishing the Danish, British and Thai monarchies with its masterpieces. Eventually, wealthy individuals also became prominent patrons and collectors - most notably the Nobel and Rothschild families. The firm expanded to Moscow, London, Kyiv and Odessa, and began looking further afield for sources of inspiration such as Japan and the Art Nouveau.
What sets Fabergé apart from his contemporaries such as Cartier or Tiffany is unrivalled technical mastery and craftsmanship: each of Fabergé’s workmasters were highly specialised and the best in their field, ensuring the highest quality standards and a consistency throughout the firm’s output. Though his competitors tried to replicate Fabergé’s designs, they could not come close to the technical excellence and innovation of the House of Fabergé. After visits to Russia in 1904, 1905 and 1908, Cartier even produced a Russian-inspired range of hardstone and enamelled jewels and objects - including clocks based on this sale’s Fabergé nephrite and enamel example - with the help of Russian artisans.
Whilst Freddie Mercury never made it to Russia - famously saying “They wouldn’t let us into Russia. They thought we’d corrupt the youth or something” - it comes as no surprise that he would have sought his own collection of Fabergé treasures fit for the kings and queens of Europe and beyond.